


Off the Record

by LarirenShadow



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: F/M, Unofficial Makorra Week
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-23
Updated: 2013-06-29
Packaged: 2017-12-15 22:41:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,890
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/854803
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LarirenShadow/pseuds/LarirenShadow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Unofficial Makorra Week prompts! Day 1 Sough. "After a month, however, Korra began to notice little things that flat out annoyed her. All of them originated from Mako."</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Sough

**Author's Note:**

> A while ago maitsukishiro, pro-tearbender, and I came up with our own Unofficial Makorra Week prompts. Starting today through June 29th. We aren't the official week nor do we want to impose on them. We just thought it would be fun. So here's day 1: Sough (verb): to moan, to rustle, to sigh, (noun): the gentle, soothing murmur of winnd or water. Rest of the prompts are:
> 
> Day 2: Corrupt
> 
> Day 3: Permit
> 
> Day 4: Sillage
> 
> Day 5: Routine
> 
> Day 6: Leisure
> 
> Day 7: Ardent

Korra had been living with Mako and Bolin for a month now. Technically she was more living with Mako as they were sharing a room. For the first two weeks everything was great: she could actually kiss her boyfriend without a disapproving grunt from someone (usually Tenzin) and she could have all the meat she wanted. She didn’t have a time she needed to be home and, really, doing dishes wasn’t so much a chore as just a thing they all did (“they” meant Mako but she still tried).

After a month, however, Korra began to notice little things that flat out annoyed her. All of them originated from Mako. Some things were habits she could learn to live with: the way the bed always had to be made in the morning and the exact way the dishes needed to be stacked. Things like that were annoying, yes, but something she could see the purpose behind.

What she couldn’t get used to was the way he always cracked his neck before beginning to cook. The way he also hummed while he cooked. At one point she asked him what he was singing and he shrugged explaining it wasn’t a tune at all, just something he did. She hated that he grunted almost every time he sat down. She broke down and asked Bolin about it. He laughed and told her it was something Mako had done since they started owning their own furniture. 

She could almost forgive him for that then. Almost.

All of these morphed into a constant low murmur that made her grit her teeth. Every little sound became akin to Lin’s metal cords recoiling. Bolin could see the tension in Korra and tried to get her to talk about it but she wouldn’t. Korra remained stubbornly silent and Bolin just murmured that she and Mako were, in fact, perfect for each other.

Everything boiled over when he began to cook dinner one night. She’d put the dishes away (in the right order) and was chopping bok choy when Mako cracked his neck, began his humming, then abruptly stopped when he noticed how she was completing her task. “Why would you chop it in tiny sections,” he scolded. “You take the whole stock and cut it in half and then half again. Didn’t anyone-”

“No one did and don’t use that tone with me!” Korra shouted. 

“What is your problem? I’m just trying to help!”

“My problem is you! Everything has to be done a certain way and all the stupid sounds you make!” Yelling felt so good. He grunted angrily. “Sounds like that!” She continued.

“You’re crazy I don’t make sounds all the time. Right Bo?”

“I’m staying out of this,” Bolin called from the couch.

“Whatever, you do make sounds and you can cut your down damn vegetables!” She threw the knife down and stomped to the door. 

“Do you know how dangerous that was? Where are you going?” Mako called from behind her.

“I don’t care and the Air Temple,” she said as she put on her coat.

Mako stood by the couch, his arm crossed as she opened the door. “You’re just going to runaway from an argument?” 

She slammed the door in response.

“You do make a lot of sounds bro,” she heard Bolin say through the door.

~*~*~  
The loudest sound she heard that night at the Air Temple was the waves. It was soothing and she should have felt better.

She didn’t.

She actually missed Mako’s snoring (he wasn’t as bad as Naga could be). Not to mention his warmth. In the morning she missed getting a kiss before he went off to the station, which was almost always followed by him cracking his neck. As she did dishes for Pema she decided she’d gladly take his humming over Ikki’s inane questions. Halfway through airbending practice she swore the wind sounded like him.

By the end of the day she found herself walking back to her apartment, bag of dumplings in hand, and an apology on her lips. 

She unlocked the door and cautiously peered in. “Hello,” she called. No one answered. Bolin was probably at a fire ferrets practice but Mako should be home by now. Unless he’d finally been sent on patrol.

She sighed, took out a dumpling, placed the bag on the table, and made herself comfortable on the couch to wait.

She woke up later to a large drool spot on her pillow and Mako putting a blanket over her. “Hi,” she said in a sleep hoarse voice.

“Hey, go back to sleep,” he said softly.

She sat up and rubbed the drool from her mouth. “No have to apologize first.” He raised an eyebrow as he sat on the table and took out a dumpling. It slowly started to steam as he watched her and waited. She sighed. “Fine, I’m sorry. I was angry and I’m not going to say I didn’t mean what I said because your sounds are annoying but, well, I like them. There, I said it.” She stuck out her bottom lip and waited for him to say something.

He chuckled. “You’re terrible at apologizes, you know that?”

She crossed her arms and turned her head away from him. “At least I don’t make stupid sounds,” she muttered petulantly. 

“I promise to work on that if you work on your temper.”

She turned and opened her mouth to refute his statement then quickly closed it. She did have a temper, as everyone was quick to point out. “Fine. Kiss and makeup?”

“Works for me,” he said as he leaned in to kiss her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him onto the couch with her.

He made a slight purring sound in the back of his throat and Korra decided he could keep doing that forever.


	2. Corrupt

Korra let Mako lead her down the street. It had been a week since their confrontation in her apartment and all she had to show for it was sore feet from dancing and slightly bruised lips from their kisses. Her right hand brushed the hem of her silver dress as she silently cursed the firebending detective who was currently dragging her to Spirits knew where for the sole purpose of ‘being seen.’ 

“Aren’t you going to comment on my suit?” He asked as he slowed down slightly.

“It looks very nice,” she said through clenched teeth. “Just like all your other ones now tell me where we are going.”

“Patience Korra. Didn’t you tell me that was something you were working on?”

She bit the inside of her cheek to keep from retorting. She’d let slip a few details about her personal life to him in the past week and she hated how he used every single one of them against her at some point.

He never let anything slip.

They stopped in front of a plain wooden door with a small window a little lower than Mako’s head. They stood under a green lantern, which was the only thing that marked the place as public rather than private. Mako knocked three times and she saw the window open. “Evening,” the shadowed face said.

“Horsefeathers,” Mako replied. The face nodded. The small window closed and the door opened. Mako pulled her inside and she tried not to trip on her heels.

Inside was dimly lit, each table had it’s own candle and red lanterns hang from the ceiling bathing the room in a soft red light. “What is this place?” 

“Speakeasy,” he said as he pulled her to a table.

She sat and crossed her arms and legs. “Why did you bring me here?”

He leaned in close, almost like he was going to kiss her again. “One, because Zolt’s flunkies are here tonight, two because another client I have asked me to spy on his business partner who is currently here making a horrible deal, and three Lin wants me to keep an eye on the dealings that go on here so she can pick the best time to bust them.”

“Nothing to do with little old me?” She fake pouts.

“Sweetheart I take you out every night now, I have to do my job sometime.” She wanted to hit him. She settled on kicking his shin. “How will I dance if you injure me?”

“Take a night off?”

He smirked. “I see we’re moving on to the physical aspects of our relationship.” She glared at him. “You never back away from my kisses.”

“You never let me,” she said petulantly.

“You don’t have to kiss me back.” She didn’t even try to respond. The waitress chose that moment to approach their table, all smiles and dressed in black. “She’ll have the nigori and I’ll have the seishu.” Korra took some pleasure in the fact that he didn’t look at her. A nod and the waitress gone Mako continued to stare at her.

“What?” Korra asked as she fidgeted in her seat. 

“The guy I’m watching is now behind you. He seems to drinking a lot and chatting up any pair of legs in a skirt.”

She scowled and hated the self-conscious feeling that washed over her. “You shouldn’t order for me,” she complained.

He finally looked back at her. “Like you’d even know what to order.”

“I can say water.”

“You don’t drink that here. Now lean in closer, he’s watching us.” Reluctantly she did as she was told. They were close enough she could smell the spices on his breath from the quick meal they’d shared before coming here and the constant scent of heat that was his fire. There was always something rather enticing about that. Something she definitely didn’t notice (or wonder if he could smell on her breath too). Before she can think of anything to say he quickly kissed. She let out a squeak for surprise and tried to move to bit his lip in retaliation. He pulled back abruptly and Korra had to catch herself before hitting the table and smashing head first into the drinks the waitress just deposited. 

“You did that on purpose.” He shrugged as he picked up his cup. She watched as steam slowly curled up from the liquid. “Should I...?” She asked holding her own.

He shook his head. “Mine is supposed to be warm, yours is supposed to be cold.” She blew a thin layer of ice on to her milky cup. She took a cautious sip and was pleased to find she actually liked its slightly sweet taste. 

Mako moved his cup to cover his lips while his eyes scanned the bar behind Korra’s head. “I want you to go try and dance with him,” he whispered.

“Who?” She asked as she tried to turn around.

“Stop! Don’t look. I’ll describe him: he has a wave of black hair covering one of his blue eyes. His suit is black but his shirt is blue. To his left is a guy in a green suit and to his right is a guy in a red one.”

She took another sip of her drink before asking, “why do you need me to do this?” 

“Because Green Suit is about to get lucky and Red Suit is drunk enough to spill the beans. I just need Tahno distracted and you’re my best distraction.” She tried to take that as a compliment.

She downed the rest of her drink. She stood, blew him a kiss, and then walked over to the man he’d described. She smirked a little because she knew he was watching her ass sway as she walked.

“Hey there, pretty boy, care to dance?” She asked in her best sultry tone.

“Are you sure you can keep up?” He drawled.

“Perfectly,” she told him as she held out her arm for him to take. He shrugged and accepted her offer.

Once on the dance floor she tried to position him with his back to his friends so he wouldn’t see Mako (not that she wanted to keep her pretend lover in sight or anything). Tahno’s pace was quicker than what she was used to (not to mention her reactions were slowed by the alcohol) but she managed a few twists that distracted him enough. 

Once the song ended he leaned in close. “Maybe you should take some lessons to keep up with me,” he whispered in her ear. 

“If they’re with you I’d rather pass,” she told him as she backed away. 

Mako had migrated back to their table, however his hat was on and his head was bowed. More yuans than she thought the drinks had been worth scattered the table. When she got within arms reach his hand shot out and grabbed her. “Come on, we’re going. Now.” 

“You can’t-” She protested as he dragged her towards the door.

“Yes I can and just cooperate. I don’t want to be here with the cops bust the joint.”

“I thought you were gathering-”

He shrugged. “Lin appears to have had a change of plans. Red Suit knew about it as well as the fact that Tahno had purchased almost all of the booze yesterday and is now trying to sell it back for twice as much.”

“How is he going to do that?” Korra asked as they rushed out of the building. The cold air felt good on her warm face. 

Mako stood on the curb and tried to hail a cab. One quickly pulled up and he all but shoved her in and shouting her address at the cabbie. She eagerly stepped on his foot as he made himself comfortable next to her. In retaliation he wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

“He’s not going to do that. He has a date with Shady Shin tonight,” Mako murmured into her hair.

“But he’s-”

“Zolt’s muscle? Yeah, that was Zolt’s club. Still is, its just going to get a new building before opening tomorrow night. All the employees were new as of this morning. Nothing to tie him to the place.” She raised an eyebrow at him. “Red knew a lot. As well as the location that’s going to get raided tomorrow night.”

She knew the answer before she made the statement: “you’re going to tell Lin.” 

“Naturally. Red’s been a little roughed up so he hopefully that and the alcohol will make him forget who got the information out of him.” She turned away from him and glared at the hand on her shoulder. It was then she noticed the cuts on his knuckles.

“When we get back to my place I’m going to heal those,” she told him.

“Your place?”

“You gave the guy my address and I thought our relationship had moved to the physical level.”

He smirked. “I’m beginning to think I’m a bad influence on you.”

“Don’t hold your breath. You’re sleeping on the couch.”

“For now,” he whispered and she tried to dismiss the shiver it sent down her spin.

He was going to be the death of her, even if he was helping her.


	3. Permit

“So there’s this festival that happens every year in the South Pole and it was one of the few things I got to leave the compound for and my uncle wants me to go because he’s going and he’s visited the South Pole only twice that I can remember and-”

“Korra,” Mako cuts off her rambling with a held up hand, which she tries to smack. He dodges but only just stays on the couch where they’re sitting. “Your point is?”

“That I want you and Bolin and Asami to come with me.” Korra beams at him and he doesn’t want to say no.

“Sounds great but-”

“I already talked to Lin about it and she says its fine. I know you hate asking for time off.” 

He sighs. “Everyone else knows right?”

She shrugs. “I actually told you weeks ago and kind of figured you forgot.”

He hangs his head and tries to hide his blush. “Yeah, I guess I did.”

“It’s ok. My parents are letting all of us stay with them, just so you know.”

“All of us?” He asks hesitantly. 

“Mmmhhh,” she nods and scoots closer to him. She wraps her arms around his neck and pulls him closer to her. “They can’t wait to have a house full of teenagers.”

“I bet,” Mako mutters sarcastically.

~*~*~  
One week and three days later Mako finds himself sitting at the table alone with Tonraq. Korra is off bending with Katara and spending some alone time with her. Bolin is updating the White Lotus guards on the current pro-bending standings. Asami is in a meeting with Varrick that she can’t get out of. That leaves him and Tonraq (Senna is helping set up the festival).

They’ve finished the food that’s been left for them and neither really wanted. He’s not really uncomfortable; he just doesn’t know what to say. They’ve discussed his job and Republic City and Korra (so much about Korra) but now the conversation has died a painful death and while they can try to talk about how cute Korra looks when she scrunches her nose in disgust at a food she hates Mako thinks its best to move on.

“So, uh, Korra was saying something about her uncle coming too?” He asks.

Tonraq nods. “Yeah my brother and his kids will be here in two days. We’re prepared from him to arrive tomorrow because he’s always early.”

“Oh, right, Korra was saying something about how he doesn’t live here.” He’s desperate for things to talk about.

“He lives in the Northern Water Tribe. I’m from there, you know.”

“Really? Korra never said anything.”

“Mmm.” Mako watches Tonraq rub his chin. The older man chuckles and Mako tries not to sit on the edge of his chair. “You know Unalaq is going to ask if you asked for permission to date Korra and if I threatened you.”

“Uh,” Mako replies.

“Please I know my daughter. When she wants something she gets it and I know she’s fully capable of being much more intimidating than I am.” Mako highly doubts that but then again Korra can be vicious when she wants to be. “I also saw how you acted around her when you first came to visit. Even if I felt differently you’d still love her and she’d still love you. It’s both of your choices, not mine.”

Mako lets out the breath he’s been holding. He feels much more confidant now as he leans back in his chair. “And your brother doesn’t agree?”

“Ha he’s still mad that I ran away to be with Senna. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s already set up a match of Eska and is working one for Desna.”

“Who?”

“Korra’s cousins. They’re twins: Eska’s a girl and Desna’s a boy and a year younger than Korra.”

“Oh.” Then he thinks over Tonraq’s words. “Wait a match?”

“Like I said, he’s traditional and traditionally Water Tribe girls get engaged at sixteen.”

Mako’s face goes red and his heart speeds up. “I, uh, well-”

“Relax. You and Korra are fine the way you are. But,” he begins and Mako recognizes the glint in his eye. He’s seen it in Korra’s enough. “If Unalaq asks I took you seal hunting. During it I scared the fire out of you and you asked for the right to keep courting her.”

“Scared fire out of me, got it. Did we kill anything?”

Tonraq laughs. “I like how you think. We got one and I was impressed with how you handled the kill. Oh and tell Korra to agree to this.”

“She’s not going to like it.”

Tonraq shrugs. “I think you can convince her. Just don’t be too loud.”

“Sorry about that,” he offers as he tries to look anywhere but Tonraq’s eyes.

“Senna’s the same way.” Mako immediately tries to forget that about the kind woman who specifically asked him what his favorite food is so she could try to make it. “She likes you too by the way,” the older man chuckles, “in fact she thinks you live up to your bending.”

It takes Mako a second to realize what he means. “Er, she’s very pretty too and you’re very lucky but I’ve got Korra.”

“Right answer, kid.”

Senna chooses that moment to burst into the kitchen, grinning and looking so much like Korra that Mako wants to go find his girl right away. “Both of you aren’t busy, good. We need some strong backs and tall bodies to help with the decorations and I volunteered both of you.”

He watches Senna pull Tonraq out of his chair and stand on her tiptoes to kiss his nose. He thinks they’re amazing together before she loops her arm around his. Tonraq is on her other arm and she’s dragging them out of the igloo, chattering on about how much work they have to do.

He never would have asked for this all this: for Korra, for her loving parents, for the way they opened their home to the orphans he and his brother are and the lonely girl who had everything. But he’s glad he has it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I...don't know how I feel about this...or the ending.


	4. Sillage

“It’s only a few days,” he promises as he kisses her goodbye. It’s their first time apart and she already hates how much she misses him. They’re not even going to be that far apart: Lin is insisting the new recruits spend three days at police headquarters in ‘intensive training.’

If she wants she could try to Avatar order Lin to let Mako stay with her. Lin will laugh at her, she knows, but she could try.

She doesn’t but wishes she did.

She steals an old shirt of Mako’s to wear while he’s gone. It smells like him: wood smoke, dry earth, and musk. When Bolin asks why she’s wearing it she shrugs. He doesn’t need to know.

By the time he’s come back to her his scent is almost gone.

~*~*~  
To him half the time Korra smells like polar bear dog. He doesn’t mind: he’s smelled a lot worse.

When she doesn’t smell like her best friend she smells like ice, cold, and something that makes him think of things like ‘earthy’ and ‘feminine.’ He loves that smell.

When she receives a letter from the current king of Omashu inquiring as to when the new Avatar will visit Korra begins to plan a trip. He watches her assume that he’ll go, that Bo will go, that Asami will go. 

But Bo can’t because it’s the week of the finals and neither can Asami because that’s the week her board of directors is voting on the future of Future Industries. When she looks at him with wide, hopeful eyes he aches to tell her he can go but he can’t: he’s only allowed so much time off and Lin can’t show favorites. Dejected she accepts all these excuses.

She asks Mako to watch Naga.

“It won’t be long and I’m not sure how she’d like the city,” she explains as she’s curled up next to him under a tree in the park. He watches Naga chase ravenjays and thinks he could get used to life like this.

Two days later he starts riding Naga to work. The smell makes him think of Korra and makes him ache a little less.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tomorrow will be better.


	5. Routine

After two years of dating and six months of living together Korra realized that she and Mako had slipped into a routine. They got up, every other day had some morning fun, Mako made breakfast, they kiss and go to work. They come home. Once a week Korra gets something from take out (if its in their budget) otherwise Mako makes food. They walk Naga around the neighborhood. They make love.

Korra was bored. It’s not that she hated their daily drill but she missed the excitement they used to have. She missed not being able to keep her hands off him and having stolen moments together. 

Not that they weren’t affectionate. They would touch for no reason and be physically close. She just missed silly things like hiding in a closet from Tenzin or finding out exactly where the most secret place is in City Hall.

She needed to change this. She was going to change this. She just wasn’t entirely sure how but she was going to try!

~*~*~

After seeking advice from Asami (which resulted in a trip to a store for only women and some new uncomfortable undergarments), Pema (which she kind of ignored because Korra was actually looking for Jinora to see if she had a book she could possibly borrow), and a frantic call to her mother (which made her feel a lot better about ignoring Pema and shopping with Asami) Korra felt very confident about her plan.

She bought fire lily scented candles for the occasion (three dozen of them) before dropping Naga off on Air Temple Island (that many candles and a polar bear dog didn’t mix). She carefully placed them all around their tiny apartment and spent a good twenty minutes playing with her firebending to light them all.

After feeling very satisfied with her work she changed into the, for lack of a better term, clothes she bought with Asami. She promised to pay her friend back for them but Asami insisted it was a gift. For whom it was meant Korra didn’t know as she donned the dark blue silk and lace negligee. Somehow it made her feel more uncomfortable than being naked but she had to try. She wanted that hot “can’t wait for the door to be closed I hope no one sees us” sex. 

She tried not to stare at the clock and not play with the flames of the candles as she waited for Mako to come home. 

When he was ten minutes late she started pacing. When he was fifteen she considered changing and giving up. At twenty she made up her mind that they were going to end up on the floor and someone was going to have rug burns. By thirty five she was considering calling Lin and demanding her boyfriend be let off work.

Thirty-eight minutes late she heard Mako’s key turn in the door. She quickly draped herself across the couch and flung her hands over her head. For extra flare she bent her knee and began running her top foot over her bottom leg (something the book she finally got out of Jinora had the heroine do).

“Korra, sorry I’m...late...” Mako’s voice died as he entered the apartment. Korra smiled at his dumbfounded expression. She let him look at her for a minute before jumping up, taking his hat off his head (she secretly really loved his uniform) and placing it on her own.

“Hello, love,” she said before throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him. She felt his arm move backwards and heard the thunk of the door closing before pushing him back against it. His hands found her back, his hands ghosting over the silk. She nipped his lip and his mouth opened to her. She’d just began to explore when he pulled back.

“Does it smell like fire lilies to you?” He asked.

“Yes,” she moaned as she tried to kiss him again. Mako turned his head but she didn’t care, it gave her perfect access to the skin right below his ear. She heard his breath catch. And then he sniffled.

“Uh, Korra,” his voice didn’t sound husky. It sounded stuffed. She took a tiny step back and looked at him. His eyes were starting to water and turn red.

“Are you ok?” She asked.

“No. Fire lilies make me all stuffed up and-” he sneezed. He snorted wetly. “Can you blow out the candles?”

“Oh, yes, of course.” Korra began going from one to another and blowing them out individually.

“Bending Korra!” Mako shouted before he sneezed again.

“Right!” She stopped, focused, and threw her arm out as she sent an air blast around the room. She ended up splattering the walls with wax in the process. 

Mako had since collapsed on the couch. She sat next to him as he blew his nose into the handkerchief she’d bought him for his birthday (Lin’s idea). “How are you feeling?” She asked as she rubbed his back the way her mother would do when she was sick.

“I’ll be fine. I always get like this with fire lilies.” He gave her a weak smile. “The air helps.”

“It was too hot with the windows closed,” she said sheepishly. “Sorry I ruined everything.”

“No I should have told you about this. Besides I have to admit I forgot whatever occasion this was for.”

She glared at him. “It was to be romantic. It was so we could stop doing the same thing every night.” She jumped up and began pacing. “Being passionate doesn’t have to only be for anniversaries or birthdays. We can do this any day. We used to do this every day! I just want it back!” It felt really good to scream. “I want to worry about the hickey you gave me showing while I’m in a meeting. I want to sneak away during lunch. I want to rip your clothes off again!”

He laughed. She was yelling and he was laughing and she wasn’t sure what was going on but she was annoyed. “Oh you think this is so-”

“Korra,” he began. “I thought you liked the normal.”

“What?”

“Look you told me how much you were worried about those hickies showing and how you couldn’t sew clothes to save your life and didn’t want me to have to fix all the tears you inflicted. I thought you liked just making love,” he finished grinning.

“I, well, yes I do but that’s not the point! The point is I want you to come home sometimes and just pick me up and throw me on the bed!”

“We both know you’d be kicking and screaming-”

“Not the point!”

“I know! I want that too!”

“You-wait you do?” Now she was confused.

“Of course I do,” he took a moment to blow into the handkerchief again. “Just give me a few minutes and I’ll be ready.”

Korra smiled and nodded. She sat next to him and began playing with the hem of her outfit. “Sorry about the candles.”

“It’s ok. Sorry about the rut.”

She shrugged. “I was happy I just..”

“Needed something more?”

“Yeah,” she agreed.

“Me too. To be honest I was going to try to plan something for my next day off.”

She smiled again and stood. “Well I guess I just moved up things a little. When you feel better I’ll be in bed,” she dropped her voice low and tried to sound as sultry as possible, “all cold and alone and waiting for you to warm me up.”

“As soon as I can,” he promised. Korra smiled to herself as she swayed her hips as she walked. They wanted the same thing and soon she’d have it.

She couldn’t wait for him to be able to breathe again.


	6. Leisure

Mako idly played with one of Korra’s front wolf tails as they lounged in the Fire Lord’s beach house on Ember Island. He watched Iroh become steadily more aggravated while talking on the telephone and mentally planned an escape for himself and Korra. The Fire Lord herself had been there the first night they arrived and, while Mako didn’t dislike her, she made him feel awkward. Even Korra’s ease with the older woman didn’t help.

“Yes I’m sure everyone will want to meet you. See you tonight, Auntie.” Iroh hung up the phone with a sigh. “In case you’re wondering my great aunt is coming for dinner. She wants to meet everyone, especially Asami.”

Asami looked up from the book she was reading. “Oh more family that’s, uh, great,” she finished half-heartedly. Mako felt sorry for her: she’s been through the ringer with Iroh’s family and they’d only been officially dating for two months. It wasn’t her fault that they hadn’t made anything official when they all accepted Iroh’s invitation. 

“Which aunt is this?” Bolin asked as he scratched right behind Pabu’s ears.

After a moment’s hesitation Iroh offered “Azula.”

Korra bolted up. Mako narrowly avoided her head hitting his face in the process. “Azula? As in ‘I took over Ba Sing Se and almost killed Avatar Aang’ Azula?” Iroh nodded and everyone waited for Korra’s reaction. “That’s so cool!”

“What?” The others said in unison.

“Well not the almost killing Aang part or when she almost killed Zuko but what she did after that! She basically established and organized the United Forces!” Iroh nodded while everyone in the room just stared at her. “What? I at least paid some attention to the history I was taught growing up,” she said smuggly.

Mako tried to digest this new information about his girlfriend while mourning the fact that he probably wouldn’t be able to convince her to sneak out later and skip dinner.

~*~*~

The elderly woman who sat across from him at the dinner table was not at all what Mako expected. She still looked like she could lead an army but at the same time had greeted him with a pat on the cheek and kept shoving pigen buns on his and Iroh’s plates because they needed more food (she gave a few to Bolin but also insisted he was hearty looking). She commanded the table with one word and for the first time Mako really felt like he was in the presence of royalty. It was terrifying and inspirational and maybe her niece could learn from it.

He was also very aware that she was watching him and Bolin closely. Even as she answered Korra’s endless questions (“Is your fire still blue?”, “What was Zuko like as a kid?”, “Did you ever have to beat up a guy because he wouldn’t listen to you because you’re a woman?”) and asked her own of Asami (“You run the whole company?”, “What are your plans for expansion?”, “Has Iroh let you tour the fleet because I think you’d make some excellent suggestions to our chief engineers.”) her eyes would always flicker back to his or Bolin’s way.

There was something strangely familiar about her eyes too. 

Dinner finished soon enough. Korra excused herself to go check on Naga. The rest of them stood and Iroh looked ready to open his mouth but Azula beat him to it. 

“Mako, Bolin, why don’t you boys come watch the sunset with me. We can leave these two lovebirds alone,” she nodded towards Asami and Iroh who both blushed.

“Actually,” Bolin mumbled as he looked at the ground, “I kind of have plans with this girl I met yesterday...”

“Bo we have a guest-” Mako began to scold his little brother.

“It’s fine, go and have fun,” Azula said kindly. Her tone slightly unnerved Mako. She looped her arm in his and, with a strength he wouldn’t have guessed she had, began pulling him outside.

They stood watching the sunset for a little while he tried to figure out something to say to her. He oscillated between ‘don’t you dare try to hurt Korra’ and ‘your life has been pretty impressive.’

“Your mother’s name was Suzume, wasn’t it?” Azula’s question caught him off guard. He nodded, wondering if it had been a popular name at the time. “And your father was Hong?”

He tried very hard not to let his mouth hang open in surprise. “How did you-”

“I looked for you and Bolin, you know.”

“Looked for us?”

She sighed and let her body sag on the railing. “After I finally received the bad news. For Agni knows what reason it took the police six months to tell me my daughter was dead.”

Mako was sure he hadn’t heard her right. “I’m sorry, you must be-”

“I’m not mistaken. You have my eyes and Bolin has my mouth.”

He crossed his arms and glared at her. “You’re saying you’re our grandmother? My mother never, ever, mentioned you and if she was your daughter then why didn’t my parents have to work two jobs each just to make rent and keep Bo and I fed and clothed?”

Azula’s eyes became sad as she stared off into the distance. “I was never very good at being close to people. I could control them, make them do what I wanted, read them and know their weaknesses but personal relationships weren’t really my forte. If you’re wondering, no your grandfather isn’t somewhere out there. He’s been dead for a while and was one of the few people who could tolerate me. Ty Lee always joked about it.

“My relationship with your mother wasn’t much different than my usual ones. I loved her but I also wanted her to be the best. Zuko kept telling me I was pushing her too hard. Maybe I was but she was an amazing bender. Then she met your father. He’d just enlisted in the United Forces as a way out of his village, or so he told me. I didn’t like them together and one thing lead to another and Suzume ran away with him.” Mako watched her shrug but her tone betrayed how hurt she still felt about the betrayal. He wanted to hug this woman but held back. He wasn’t sure it would be accepted. “I tracked her down months later. By that point they’d eloped and you were on the way. I tried to offer her money but she refused. Something about wanting to prove herself or other such nonsense she learned from Zuko.”

“So you knew about Bo and me?” Mako asked.

“Of course. We wrote letters to each other. Sometimes I’d get three a week and sometimes there would be months in between them. When they stopped,” she paused and bit her lip, “when they stopped after she died I didn’t immediately worry. I’d said something about wanting you to come to the Fire Nation to train and she flat out refused. By the time I knew the truth and tried to claim you and Bolin you’d both managed to run away from the orphanage and hide yourselves from anyone looking for you.”

“I’m sorry but why are you telling me all this? And why did you just give up? We were living in plain sight of train station!” He knew his anger was irrational but it felt so good.

“I’m telling you because you should know. I gave up because I was flat out told you two were probably dead and I didn’t know you weren’t until I saw your pictures in the paper.”

“Then why didn’t you come find us then!”

She turned and glared at him and Mako felt like cowering. This was the woman who could command armies. “And tell you what? That I’m your long lost grandmother here to offer you a life of leisure and everything you ever dreamed of? That the Avatar might finally notice you if you have a royal title?”

Mako scoffed. “If you had told me that then I would have said you were crazy.”

She shrugged. “I was for a little. Still would you have taken it?”

He thought about her question. Would he? Would he want everything she could offer? A very large part of him screamed yes but the more practical part said no. He’d become bored and while it would give him the ability to travel with Korra wherever her Avatar duties took her he actually liked his job. He liked the purpose it gave him. “Maybe if you’d come right after the arena had been destroyed but not now. Bo might though, you can always offer it to him.”

“You are your mother’s son. Promise to show me your bending in the morning and please tell me you can generate lightning.”

He smirked. “Before becoming a cop my steady job was at the power plant.”

“That is a waste of bending.”

“It put food on the table.”

“Fair enough.” They stood in silence for a little as Mako tried to take in all this new information. He had living family (a lot actually). “I hope you marry Korra,” Azula said out of the blue.

“Why?” Sure he’d thought about it but having Azula say the words made everything seem much more real.

“So I can brag to my older brother that my grandson is the one who is permanently tied to the Avatar.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I originally planned something else entirely but I went with this.


	7. Ardent

Before he could even knock Korra opened her door. “Chinese food is on its way and I have your favorite beer already in the fridge,” she said by way of greeting.

Mako scowled. “How did you even know I was coming over?”

She held up her phone with a text from Bolin saying, “Mako and Asami broke up. He’s heading over rn.”

“I’m going to punch him for that.”

“Why? You get your food quicker and I have some warning instead of the usual ‘woe is me, please drop everything you’re doing Korra and make me feel better’ house call. The last time I had to have my date hide under my bed for five hours while you complained about that girl who ‘broke your heart into a thousand tiny pieces.’”

His scowl deepened. “I did not say she broke my heart into a thousand tiny pieces.”

“Well you whined like a teenage girl. You can either come in or you can leave and go cry in a bar somewhere and try to have a horrible pity one night stand, which I can guarantee won’t happen, and pay for your drinks.”

“If I leave I have a chance at sex.”

“If you leave I text and call Bolin and follow you and we both make sure you end up with your hand tonight.” If she hadn’t said she would do both Mako would have had a chance. Bolin tended to leave his phone lying around the apartment so a single text usually didn’t do anything. Both, however, seemed to have him running to the room where the forgotten phone was and answering immediately. 

He pushed past her. “You better have ordered two orders of egg rolls, you always hog them.”

“I ordered three,” she told him happily as she almost skipped to the kitchen. He hated how smug she was sometimes.

He flopped down on to the couch while she went to the kitchen to grab their beers. Her beast of a Newfoundland slammed her paws on to his chest and licked his face in greeting. “All right Naga, I’ll come see you more just get off me,” he shoved the dog slightly and she moved off him. She curled up by his feet. “You know Naga would do better living with your parents and running around in their backyard,” he called.

Korra gracefully hopped onto the couch next time, managing not to spill either of their beers. Must be a waterbender trick. “Ha-ha, you just don’t like her cause she sheds on your clothes.” She handed him his beer, which he gratefully took a sip of.

“No. She’s a big dog and needs to run around.”

“That’s why we go to the park all the time and sometimes I take her to doggie daycare when I have to work long hours so she can run around. Sometimes we even go swimming,” she teased. He hated that the dog was a better swimmer than he was and slightly resented Naga for that one time she saved him during one of Korra’s swim lessons. “Now tell me all about the horrible heartless Asami who broke your heart with her stiletto.”

He glared at her as he downed half his beer. “You don’t have to pretend you don’t like her.”

She smiled. “I know but its kind of fun. It’s like I get to make up this awful person in my head and bash on her but she is in no way connected to my friend.”

“You’re weird.”

“No, I’m the Avatar.”

“As far as I’m concerned that’s the same thing.” She kicked him.

“You didn’t even know Avatar Aang!”

“I don’t have to. You’ve heard the stories about how he liked to ride every kind of weird animal he could find.”

She glared and took a sip of her beer before conceding. “Fair point. But you’re my friend so you’re supposed to accept me for who I am.”

He snorted. “You sounds like an after school special.”

“I kind of am. I’ve had to go talk to a bunch of different schools about bullying. Apparently part of being the Avatar and keeping peace is encouraging kids to get a long.”

“You are the last person I would ask to do that.”

“They don’t need to know about my feud with Tahno.”

“Or how you and Chief Beifong were at odds for a good month after you got here.”

“Not my fault! Ok, well, some of it was my fault but she started it because of Tenzin!” The doorbell rang before he could add anything. “Food!” She exclaimed as she shot off the couch. He raced after her. He hated it when she paid for things.

“Hi and here,” she shoved money into the delivery guy’s hand before she snatched the food. “Keep the change!” she said as she closed the door.

“You can’t keep paying for me,” he grumbled as she handed him the bag.

“I can and I did.”

He set the food down on the living room coffee table as she got plates that they never used. He grabbed the first box in the bag, happy to discover one of the egg rolls. He opened a packet of duck sauce with his teeth as she set the plates down on the table and tried to grab an egg roll from his box. “Mine,” he grunted.

“There are three orders don’t get picky about me taking one of yours.” He held the box as high above his head as he could. She tackled him and he still tried to hold the box out of her reach while she climbed all over him. “Quit it!” He complained while still trying to keep the duck sauce in his mouth. Naga tried to help by barking and jumping up to try to grab the box as well.

“Give up City Boy!” Korra kept trying to climb higher and grab the box. He finally ended up with a knee in his stomach and a victorious Avatar smirking as she bit into her egg roll.

“You’re supposed to be being nice to me on account of my broken heart,” he complained as he squeezed duck sauce on to his egg roll. She stuck her tongue out as she fed the last bit to Naga.

“I am being nice to you and I’ll even let you crash on the couch if you drink and eat too much.”

He grunted as he opened the box of Mongolian beef and began eating it. They stayed silent as they devoured the food by passing boxes to one another. “You really shouldn’t bother with plates,” he commented as he lay back.

She shrugged. “I hope one day we will become civilized human beings and use them.” He laughed. “So are you ready to tell me what happened this time?” In response he grunted.

Usually he waxed poetic about how this girl wasn’t right or she just didn’t understand him or they weren’t compatible in some way. Usually Korra had never met the girl in question. Asami, however, had been different. He’d brought her to a party that Korra had been at. Somehow the two had become friends. Asami was his first girlfriend to even really meet Korra and now complaining about her seemed wrong. Not to mention the reason she broke up with him.

“She broke up with me, end of story,” he offered after a few nudges from her foot.

“What no long story? No dramatic retelling of the exact words she used, complete with hand gestures? You know I can just ask her, right? In fact that doesn’t sound like a bad idea.” She reached for her cell phone on the table. Mako lunged. He needed to get that phone before she could ask what happened. Korra, however, was quicker and grabbed the phone first, rolled off the couch and onto the floor and scampered out of his reach, leaving him in a heap in the small space between the couch and table.

“Oh this has to be good, City Boy,” she teased over her shoulder as she ran into the bathroom. He heard the faint click of the lock and knew it was too late. Still he banged on the door hoping she’d open it. He gave up and slumped against the door. He could hear the tapping of her nails as she texted (why she didn’t just call anyone, Mako didn’t know). 

He weighed his options. He could leave and ignore the fall out of what Asami could say or he could pray that Asami would be discrete and not tell Korra anything and he could stay and evade questions and eat. Before he could really make up his decision he heard the telltale vibrate of Korra’s phone.

Decision made for him he tried to get to the door as quickly as possible. He would have too, if Naga didn’t jump up on him and start barking. “No Naga, down,” he tried to get her to calm down before Korra came back.

Too late. “Naga, heel,” Korra commanded. Mako’s shoulders slumped as he resigned himself to his fate. He turned to look at Korra. She just looked at him and Mako began to prepare himself for losing his best friend.

“What did Asami say?” He finally asked.

“That she didn’t want to be in a relationship with you when you are in love with someone else.”

“Look, Korra, I’m sorry. I...I should have said something sooner but I didn’t want to lose you as a friend if this didn’t work between us-”

“Wait,” she interrupted him her eyes going wide. “What do you mean us?”

“I mean you’re the one I’m in love with Korra.” It felt really good to say the words out loud. “Didn’t Asami tell you?”

“No she just said you were in love with someone else. I was ready to yell at you for being a jerk and leading her on but you looked hurt so I was trying to think of a better way to phrase it. And you can’t be in love me-” he kissed her. He meant it to be sweet and simple but he slightly sucked on her bottom lip and knew he wasn’t going to be enough. He had to taste her; he tried as he ran his tongue over her lips seeking entrance. As soon as she parts her lips he slipped his tongue into her mouth and began to explore. He wasn’t finished counting her teeth when she pulled back. 

“It’s always been you,” he said as he tried to get his breathing under control. “I just never wanted to admit it.”

She lightly punched his arm. “That is the stupidest thing I’ve heard.”

He took a step away from her. “I should go then.”

“No you shouldn’t you big idiot. There’s food and beer and I’ve been madly in love with you too.”

“That’s not a-wait what?”

She crossed her arms and glared at him. “I’ve been passionately, madly, and ardently in love with you for years,” she said in a monotone. 

“I can’t tell if you’re being serious or not.”

Her expression softened and she reached out to cup his face. She stepped closer as her thumb traced his cheekbone. “Dead serious. I told you once too.”

He kissed her palm and nipped at the heel of her hand. “You were drunk at the time. When I asked the next day you just said forget it.”

“Well yeah. You didn’t say anything when I told you so I thought you didn’t feel that way and I didn’t want to lose you as a friend and now I sound like you.”

“I guess we’re meant for each other?” He offered with a smile.

“Oh shut up. So now what?”

“Now we eat and if I have to spend the night I might not have to on the couch?”

“No way! You know I don’t sleep with guys on the first date.” He raised an eyebrow at her. “Usually,” she amended.

“So it’s a date now?”

“Are you going to try to give me money for the food if I say it’s a date?”

“Yes,” he said truthfully.

“Then no, this is still your pity party. Tomorrow we can go on a date. I expect it to be amazing.”

“So Narook’s, ice cream, and making out in the car?”

“Ha-ha I said amazing which means that we will be making out at one of our apartments.”

“I can live with this.”

They sat back down on the couch and couldn’t stop grinning at each other between bites. “Can you say it again?” She asked.

He knew exactly what she meant. “I love you, Korra.”

“Love you too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Done!


End file.
